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Tech tip: How to get surround sound without rear speakers

If you want to listen to films in surround sound without littering your lounge with speakers, consider a virtual surround-sound system. These emulate 5.1 systems (five satellite speakers and a subwoofer) in two ways. Some try to fool your brain into misinterpreting the direction of the sounds you hear - that's how 2.1 systems, which use two satellites and a subwoofer, create the illusion of all-round sound. The second way in which 5.1 is imitated is by the use of a bar-shaped speaker unit, located under the TV, that contains several speaker drivers angled to bounce the sound they produce off the walls. The latter system employs sound-processing trickery too and, though more affected by room shape, works better. Neither technology is as good as a genuine 5.1 surround sound setup.